On the road groups

ABSTRACT

A mobile or in-vehicle communication system and method facilitate communication among groups. The system and method also facilitate the creation of such groups. The system and method may convert speech from one member of the group to text for distribution to other members of the group, for whom the text is converted to audible speech.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/352,148, filed Jun. 7, 2010.

BACKGROUND

Mobile communication devices permit people to stay in contact almostcontinuously via voice, texting, email, chat, social media websites,etc. Keeping in touch while driving a vehicle can be difficult, if notdangerous. Prior applications and products from the present assigneeaddress this problem with a device that provides efficient voice-onlycommunication in the vehicle.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a mobile or in-vehicle communicationsystem and method facilitating communication among groups. The systemand method also facilitate the creation of such groups. The system andmethod may convert speech from one member of the group to text fordistribution to other members of the group, for whom the text isconverted to audible speech. Alternatively, recorded audible speechfiles may be transmitted to the members for playback.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a communication system according to oneembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates some of the components of the controlunit of the communication system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the vehicle-to-vehicle communication using the systemof FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A communication system 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as implemented in a vehicle8. The system 10 includes a device control unit 11 which is preferablymounted in a discreet location within the vehicle 8, such as under thedashboard, in the glove compartment, etc. The control unit 11 supportswireless communication via Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1) or any otherwireless standard to communicate wirelessly with a cell phone, PDA, orother mobile device 12. All data 13 is encrypted prior to transmission.The audio output of the control unit 11 is transmitted either wirelessly14 or through a direct, wired connection 15 to the vehicle's soundsystem, which may include a radio 16, satellite TV 16A, satellite radio16B, etc. The audio input for the control unit 11 is obtained eitherthrough a directly connected microphone 17, through an existing vehiclehands-free system, or wirelessly though a headset 18 connected to themobile device 12. The control unit 11 may also have a video outputtransmitting video received from a video camera 60, or received from avideo camera built into mobile device 12. In one example, the controlunit 11 receives both audio and video from the video camera 60 or fromthe mobile device 12.

The control unit 11 connects to the vehicle's battery for power. An ACadapter is available for use at home or in the office. For portable usein other vehicles, an optional “Y” or pass-through cable is available toplug into a cigarette lighter accessory socket for power.

The control unit 11 contains a recessed button 20 which enables thedriver to do the following: register new or replacement remotes; pairthe device with a new mobile device 12; and clear all preferences andreset the device to its factory default settings. The control unit 11also has a set of four status lights 21 which display the followinginformation: power and system health, vehicle connection status andactivity, mobile device connection status and activity, and informationaccess and general status.

In one example, the control unit 11 and the mobile device 12 recognizewhen the user, and the user's associated mobile device 12, are near to,or have entered the vehicle. This may be accomplished, for example, byBluetooth pairing of the device and the vehicle, or similar wirelesscommunication initiation protocols. Within this range, the handhelddevice 12 changes from its normal, self-contained operating mode, to animmersive communication mode, where it is operated through the controlunit 11. As will be described in more detail below, among other things,this mode enables the user to hear their emails played through thevehicle's sound system 16, or, alternatively, and if so equipped, playedthrough the sound system of the mobile device 12, e.g., headphones 18.Microphones 17 in the vehicle 8 or on the mobile device 12 detectuser-generated voice commands. Thus, the user is not required to changemodes on the mobile device 12; instead, the control unit 11 andassociated mobile device 12, recognize that the user is proximate thevehicle 8 and adjust the mode accordingly.

In addition to adjusting the mode based on vehicle proximity, the system10 may adjust between a public and a private mode. For instance, asexplained above, the system's immersive communication mode ordinarilyoccurs when the user is proximate the vehicle 8. The immersivecommunication mode may have a public setting and a private setting. Thepublic setting plays the emails over headphones 18 associated with themobile device 12. Such a setting prevents a user from disturbing otheroccupants of the vehicle 8. The private setting plays the emails overthe vehicle sound system 16, and is ordinarily used when the user is theonly occupant in the vehicle 8.

Of course, such system settings may be adjusted by the user and theirparticular preferences in their user profile. For example, the user mayprefer to switch to the immersive communication mode when the mobiledevice 12 and user are within a certain distance from the vehicle 8,whereas another user may switch modes only when the mobile device 12 anduser have entered the vehicle 8. Further, the user may want to operatethe control unit 11 and associated device 12 in a public mode, even ifother occupants are in the vehicle 8.

Similarly, the system 10 recognizes when the user leaves the vehicle 8and the mobile device 12 reverts to a self-contained (normal) mode. Themobile device 12 may also record the vehicle's location when the userleaves the vehicle 8 (based upon GPS or other information). Accordingly,the user can recall the vehicle position at a later time, either on thedevice or elsewhere on the system, which may aid the user in locatingthe vehicle 8.

The device has multiple USB ports 22. There are standard USB ports whichserve the following functions: to enable the driver to storepreferences, settings, and off-line memos and transcriptions on astandard USB flash drive; to permit future expansion, upgrades, andadd-on features (e.g. video camera 60); and to connect an Ethernetdongle for high-speed internet access. In addition, the control unit 11has a dual-purpose USB 2.0 port which in addition to the featuresmentioned above, provides USB 2.0 “on-the-go” functionality by directlyconnecting to the USB port of a notebook computer with a standard cable(e.g. just like connecting a portable camera or GPS unit directly to acomputer).

Other ports on the control unit 11 include an ⅛″ audio jack 23 toconnect to a car stereo without Bluetooth support, a ⅛″ microphone jack24 to support external high-quality microphones for hands-free calling,and a ⅛″ stereo headset jack 25 for use away from the vehicle or in avehicle without Bluetooth support.

The system 10 also includes an optional remote control 26 to interactwith the control unit 11. The remote control contains lithium batteries,similar to that of a remote keyless entry remote for a common vehicle.

In order to provide security and privacy, the device uses bothauthentication and encryption. Voice-based biometrics may also be usedto further enhance security.

The driver stores his or her settings for the device in their settingsprofile 30. The driver may also store a license plate number for thevehicle 8 in the settings profiles 30. This profile 30 may be stored ina database on an Internet server 27. The control unit 11 utilizes theinternet access provided by the driver's mobile device 12 to downloadthe driver's profile 30 via the Internet. The control unit 11 also usesthe pairing information from the mobile device 12 to retrieve thecorrect profile 30 from the server 27. If the profile 30 has alreadybeen downloaded to the control unit 11, the control unit 11 may justcheck for changes and updates on the server 27. Each profile 30 on theserver 27 contains a set of rules that the control unit 11 uses to makedecisions on content delivery to the driver. The profile 30 may alsoindicate groups to which the user belongs. The driver can access andmodify their profile 30 on the Internet server 27 through either theInternet using a web-based interface 28, or through a simple interfacedirectly accessible from the associated mobile device 12. Alternatively,the profile 30 is always stored and modified on the control unit 11 onlyand can be accessed via the mobile device 12 and/or via a USB connectionto a laptop or desktop computer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 11 includes a text processingmodule 34, a vehicle communication module 36, a speech recognitionmodule 38, Bluetooth (or other wireless communication) modules 40, amobile device communication module 42, a text-to-speech module 44, auser interface module 46, and a remote device behavior controller 48.The control unit 11 has an email processing agent 50 that processesemail messages and determines the identity of the sender, whether themessage has an attachment, and if so what type of attachment, and thenextracts the body-text of the message. The control unit 11 alsodetermines if a message is a reminder, news, or just a regular emailmessage. The control unit 11 uses a data mining algorithm to determineif any parts of the email should be excluded (e.g. a lengthy signature).

Communication with Other Vehicles

The vehicle 8 is operable to wirelessly communicate with other vehicles.Referring to FIG. 3, a first vehicle 8 a includes a first control unit11 a and a first mobile device 12 a, and a second vehicle 8 b includes asecond control unit 11 b and a second mobile device 12 b. Using thecontrol device 11 a, an operator of vehicle 8 a (“inviter”) can initiatea communication with an operator of the vehicle 8 b (“invitee”).Although the terms “operator” and “driver” are used throughout thisapplication, it is understood that vehicle passengers could also use thecontrol device 11 to engage in communication. The inviter could enter alicense plate of the vehicle 8 b to identify the vehicle 8 b. Thisinformation could be spoken and converted to text using the speechrecognition module 38, or could be entered using a keyboard (e.g.keyboard on mobile device 12 a). An invitation message may then betransmitted to the identified vehicle 8 b.

In one example an invitation message is sent to only a vehiclecorresponding to a specified license plate. In one example, aninvitation message is sent to all vehicles within a predefined vicinityof the invitee vehicle. The invitation message could include informationsuch as a license plate number of the invitee vehicle, the communicationaddressing information of the inviter (e.g. name, nickname, etc.), and adescription of the inviter's vehicle (e.g. brand, color, etc.).

Once the invitee vehicle 8 b receives a communication invitation fromthe inviter vehicle 8 a, the control unit 11 b notifies the operator ofthe invitation. If the invitation is accepted, a chatting connection isestablished between the control units 11 a-b so that both operators canchat using voice, text (e.g. using speech recognition module 38 or usinga keyboard of mobile device 12), or video (e.g. using video camera 60,or using video functionality of mobile device 12).

The server 27 runs one or more applications for decoding a vehiclelicense plate number to an addressable piece of data (e.g. IP address,CIM, satellite receiver identification number, etc.). A license plate ofthe inviter vehicle 8 a may be stored in the user settings profile 30for an operator of the vehicle 8 a. In one example an operator may storemultiple license plates in their profile if they own multiple vehicles(e.g. Plate1 and Plate1 a), such that the control device 11 canseamlessly be moved between vehicles. In one example, if the inviteevehicle 8 b does not have a registered license plate, the server 27cannot identify the vehicle 8 b and the invitation is automaticallyrejected.

The mobile devices 12 a-b may communicate using a variety ofcommunication means. In one example, the control units 11 communicatewith one another via text chat, speech to text, video chat, or voiceover IP either directly with one another, vehicle to vehicle, such as byradio frequency, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, citizen's band (“CB”) radios, orother comparable short range communication devices. Alternatively, thecommunication (text chat, speech to text, video chat, or voice over IP)can take place via the server 27. The communications may be logged onthe server 27 (if used) and/or locally on the control units 11. In oneexample, the mobile devices 12 a-b correspond to Bluetooth headsets eachoperable to communication with a Bluetooth receiver in the other of thetwo vehicles 8 a-b. In one example, the mobile devices 12 a-bcommunicate via satellite, with or without using cellular towers.

Each mobile device 12 a-b may use an onboard localization device (e.g.GPS module) for determining vehicle location. A GPS vehicle locationcould be used when sending an invitation message to neighboring vehiclessuch that the server 27 determines which vehicles are in proximity tothe inviting vehicle by comparing GPS positions.

The inter-vehicle communication features discussed above may be usefulfor a variety of reasons. For example, an operator of vehicle 8 a maywish to notify an operator of vehicle 8 b that a tire on vehicle 8 b ispartially deflated. As another example, an operator of vehicle 8 a maywish to engage in a social conversation with an operator of vehicle 8 b.As another example, an operator of vehicle 8 a may wish to notify anoperator of vehicle 8 b of hazardous road conditions, or of impendingtraffic.

Hands-Free Email

One feature of the system is hands-free email. Using the text-to-speechmodule 44, the control unit 11 can read email to the driver. When newemail arrives, the control unit 11 uses the profile 30 to guide anintelligent filtering and prioritization system which enables the driverto do the following: ensure that emails are filtered and read in orderof priority, limit the frequency of new email interruptions, sendautomatic replies without driver intervention, and forward certainemails to a third-party without interruption. In addition, prior tobeing read out loud, the control unit 11 processes emails to optimizeclarity. Part of that process involves detecting acronyms, symbols, andother more complex structures and ensuring that they can be easilyunderstood when read. The control unit 11 provides intelligent emailsummarization in order to reduce the time required to hear the importantcontent of email when read out loud.

The driver can interact with the control unit 11 using voice commands,including “go back” and “go forward,” to which the control unit 11responds by going back to the previous phrase or sentence or the nextphrase or sentence in the email respectively. In addition, speaking “goback, go back” would back up two phrases or sentences.

Additional hands-free email features include a time-saving filteringsystem which allows the driver to hear only the most important contentor meaning of an email. Another email-related feature is the ability todownload custom email parsers to add a new dimension to audible email,and to parse informal email styles (e.g., 18r, ttyl).

The hands-free email functionality includes content-rich notification.When providing notification of a new email, the control unit 11 providesa quick summary about the incoming email, enabling the driver toprioritize which messages are more important. Examples include “You havemail from Sally” (similar to a caller-ID for email), or “You have animportant meeting request from Cathy.” The control unit 11 looks up theknown contact names based upon the sender's email address in the user'saddress book on the mobile device 12. The control unit 11 uses knowncontact names to identify the parties of an email instead of justreading the cryptic email addresses out loud.

In addition to reading email, the control unit 11 also enables thedriver to compose responses. The driver can send a reply using existingtext or voice templates (e.g. “I'm in the car call me at ‘number,’” or“I'm in the car, I will reply as soon as I can”). New emails can also becreated and sent as a voice recording in the form of a .wav, .mp3 orother file format. The driver is also provided the option of calling thesender of the email on the phone using existing contact information inthe address book, or responding to meeting requests and calendar updates(e.g. Outlook). Emails can also be created as freeform text responses bydictating the contents of the email. The device then translates thatinto text form for email transmission. An intelligent assistant will beimmediately available to suggest possible actions and to provide help asneeded. Again all of these options are prompted by verbal inquires bythe control unit 11 which can be selected by voice commands by thedriver.

The control unit 11 supports multiple email accounts, and email can becomposed from any existing account. Incoming email can also beintelligently handled and prioritized based upon account. Optionalin-vehicle email addresses on a custom domain are available. Emails sentfrom this address would include a notification that the email wascomposed while in transit. When composing an email to an in-vehicleemail address, the sender knows that the email will be read out loud ina vehicle. If the traditional email is “george@work.net,” then thein-vehicle address may be “george@driving.net.” Optional enhancedexisting email addresses are also available on supported email systems.For example, if the traditional email is “george@work.com,” an enhancedin-vehicle address of “george+driving@work.com” may be selected.

Enhanced Hands-Free Telephone Calls

Another feature of this invention is enhanced hands-free telephonecalls. This includes transparent use of any existing hands-free system.All incoming telephone calls can use either the existing vehiclehands-free system or a user headset 18. If an expected important emailarrives while the driver is on the phone, an “email-waiting” indicator(lights and/or subtle tones) will provide subtle notification withoutdisrupting the conversation. A headset 18 can be activated at any timefor privacy or to optimize clarity. The control unit 11 will seamlesslyswitch from the vehicle hands-free system to the private headset 18 forprivacy.

The control unit 11 also features enhanced caller-ID. The deviceannounces incoming calls by reading the caller name or number out loud(e.g. “This is a call from John Doe, do you want to answer it?”). Thiseliminates the need to look away from the road to find out who iscalling. Vehicle-aware screening can also automatically forward specificcalls to voicemail or to another number when driving, again based uponthe driver's profile. Normal forwarding rules will resume when leavingthe vehicle.

The control unit 11 also provides voice activated answering and calling.When the control unit 11 announces a telephone call, the driver canaccept the call using a voice command. The driver can use voice commandsassociated with either contacts in an address book or with spoken phonenumbers to place outgoing telephone calls (e.g. “Call Krista”).

Unified Information Management

Another feature of the present invention is that it provides unifiedinformation management. The control unit 11 provides a consistentinterface for seamless access to incoming and outgoing telephone calls,email, and other sources of information. The existing hands-freeinterface automatically switches between telephone calls, reading email,and providing important notifications. When entering the vehicle, thecontrol unit 11 automatically provides an enhanced voice-basedinterface, and when leaving the vehicle, the mobile device 12automatically resumes normal operation. Email reading can also be pausedto accept an incoming phone call, and can be resumed when the call iscomplete.

In addition, the driver can communicate with any contact through email,a phone call, or an SMS text message simply by speaking. The controlunit 11 provides enhanced information for incoming telephone calls. Thename and number, if available, are read out loud to ensure that thedriver knows the caller without looking away from the road. A nickname,or other information located in an address book, may also be used fornotification.

The driver can also reply to an email with a phone call. While readingan email, the driver can contact the sender by placing a telephone callwith address book information. When a phone call is made, but the lineis busy or no voicemail exists, the user is given the option of sendingan email to the same contact instead. This eliminates the need to waitand try calling the person again.

Within their profile 30, the driver can prioritize between email andphone calls, so that an important email will not be interrupted by aless important phone call. In addition, custom .mp3 (or other format)ring tones can be associated with both incoming emails and telephonecalls. Ring tones can be customized by email from certain contacts,phone calls from certain contacts, or email about certain subjects.Custom “call waiting” audible indicators can be used when an importantemail arrives while on the phone, or when an important phone callarrives while reading or composing an email.

Enhanced Hands-Free Calendar

Another feature of the present invention is the enhanced hands-freecalendar wherein the control unit 11 utilizes the calendar functionalityof the user's mobile device 12. The control unit 11 reads the subjectand time of calendar reminders out loud, and the driver can accessadditional calendar information with voice commands if desired. Thedriver can also perform in-transit schedule management by reviewingscheduled appointments (including date, time, subject, location andnotes); accepting, declining, or forwarding meeting requests fromsupported systems (e.g. Outlook); scheduling meetings; and automaticallyannotating meetings with location information. The driver can also storelocation-based reminders, which will provide reminders the next time thevehicle is present in a specified geographical area, and automaticallyreceive information associated with nearby landmarks. In addition, thedriver could plan and resolve meeting issues by communicating directlywith other participants' location-aware devices.

Do Not Disturb

Another feature of the present invention is the “do not disturb”functionality. When passengers are present in the vehicle, the controlunit 11 can be temporarily silenced. Even when silent, the control unit11 will continue to intelligently handle incoming email, emailforwarding, providing automatic email replies, and processing email asdesired. A mute feature is also available. In one example, the controlunit 11 automatically rejects communication attempts from neighboringcontrol units 11 such that no chatting is initiated in the “do notdisturb” mode.

Integrated Voice Memo Pad

Another feature of the present invention is the integrated voice memopad, which enables the driver to record thoughts and important ideaswhile driving so they will not be forgotten while parking or searchingfor a memo pad or device. Memos can be transferred via email to thedriver's inbox, or to any of the driver's contacts. Memos can also bewirelessly transferred to a computer desktop via the Bluetooth interfaceas the user arrives in the office, or transferred to a removable USBflash memory drive. Memos can also be annotated automatically usingadvanced context information including location, weather, and tripinformation. For example, “this memo was recorded at night in a trafficjam on the highway, halfway between the office and the manufacturingfacility.” Such augmented information can provide valuable cues whenreviewing memos.

Access to Diverse Information

Another feature of the example embodiment of the present invention isthe ability to access to diverse information. Information is availablein audible form (text-to-speech) from a wide range of sources. First,the control unit 11 provides access to personal connectivity and timemanagement information. This includes email (new and previously read),incoming caller name and number, SMS messages, MMS messages, telephonecall logs, address book, calendar and schedule, and instant messages.

Second, the control unit 11 provides multi-format support. This includesemail attachments that can be read out loud, including plain text, audioattachments (e.g., .wav, .mp3), HTML (e.g. encoded emails and websites), plain text portions of Word and PowerPoint files, Adobe PortableDocument format (PDF), OpenDocument formats, and compressed and/orencoded attachments of the above formats (e.g. .zip).

Third, the device provides environment and location awareness. Thisincludes current location and navigation information, local weatherconditions, vehicle status, and relevant location-specific information(e.g. where is “work”, where is “home?”).

Fourth, the control unit 11 provides remote access to information. Thisincludes existing news sources (e.g. existing RSS feeds) and supportedwebsites. This also includes subscription to value-added servicesincluding: weather, custom alerts (e.g. stock price triggers), trafficconditions, personalized news, e-books (not limited to audio books, butany e-book), personalized audio feeds, and personalized image or videofeeds for passengers. The system obtains, translates, and providespersonalized news content in audible form within a vehicle withoutexplicit user requests. An individual may set their preferences byselecting from a set of common sources of information, or by specifyingcustom search criteria. When new information is available and relevantto the individual's preferences, it is read out loud to the individualwhen appropriate. Appropriate instances can be specified by theindividual using a combination of in-vehicle presence detection,time-of-day, and importance of the information relative to otherpersonal events including email, phone calls, meetings and textmessages.

Individual preferences are fine tuned using negative feedback asspecific stories and events are read out loud to the individual. Thisnegative feedback is used in combination with the individual's personalsearch criteria to refine the relevance of future personalized content.In addition to online news content, the individual may also select otheravailable online content, including stock market events and general websearch terms. Some examples of personalized content include:

Weather

Custom alerts (e.g. stock price triggers)

Traffic conditions

Personalized news

e-books (not limited to audio-books, but any e-book)

Personalized audio feeds

Personalized image or video feeds for passengers

All text information is parsed and translated to optimizeintelligibility before being read out loud to the individual.

Notification rules can be set by the individual using any combination oftime interval, in-vehicle presence, and importance of the news eventwith appropriate location aware hardware support, notification rules canalso include location based constraints. Desired news content can beselected using predefined templates or custom search terms.

User feedback is incorporated to maintain historical information aboutthe news events to which the individual listens, news events that areinterrupted, and news events to which the individual provides explicitfeedback. This information is used to help filter subsequent newsinformation and provide the user with more relevant news information thelonger they use the service.

To minimize the volume of wireless data transfer, all searching andselection of relevant content is performed using a server with a wireddata connection. Appropriate instances to present new information aredetected locally (within the vehicle). When an appropriate instanceoccurs, a short request is sent to trigger the transmission of the mostrecent personalized news information from the search server.

Personalization

Another feature in the example system 10 is extensive personalizationand customization for email handling, email notification, time-sensitiverules, vehicle-aware actions, text-to-speech preferences, and multipleuser support.

The email handling settings in the user's profile 30 allow the driver touse the control unit's 11 built-in intelligent email parsing andprocessing. This enables the driver to avoid receiving notification forevery trivial incoming email. Some of the intelligent parsing featuresinclude automatic replies, forwarding and prioritization based oncontent and sender, and substitution of difficult phrases (e.g. emailaddresses and web site URLs) with simple names and words. The driver canalso choose to hear only select information when a new email arrives(e.g. just the sender name, or the sender and subject, or a quicksummary). Email “ring tones” are also available for incoming emailsbased on sender or specific keywords. Prepared text or voice replies canbe used to send frequently used responses (e.g. “I'm in transit rightnow”). Some prepared quick-responses may be used to automaticallyforward an email to a pre-selected recipient such as an administrativeassistant. The driver can also set up both email address configurationand multiple email address rules (e.g. use “me@work.com” when replyingto emails sent to “me@work.com,” but use “me@mobile.com” when composingnew emails).

The driver can also customize notification. This includes prioritizingemails and phone calls based on caller or sender and subject (e.g. neverread emails from Ben out loud, or if an email arrives from George, itshould be read before others). The driver can also limit the amount ofnotifications received (e.g. set minimum time between notifications, ormaximum number of emails read in a short period of time).

Time-sensitive rules in the profile 30 may include options such as“don't both me in the morning,” or “only notify me about incoming emailbetween these hours.” The driver can also configure audible remindertypes based on calendar and scheduling items from the mobile device.Vehicle-aware actions are configurable based on the presence of the userin the vehicle. These actions include the content of automatic repliesand predefined destinations and rules to automatically forward specificemails to an administrative assistant or other individual. These alsoinclude actions to take when multiple Bluetooth enabled mobile devicesare present (e.g. switch to silent “do not disturb” mode, or take noaction).

The text-to-speech settings for the device are also configurable. Thisincludes speech characteristics such as speed, voice, and volume. Thevoice may be set to male or female, and may be set to speak a number oflanguages, including but not limited to US English, UK English, French,Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, and Portuguese. A base set of languageswill be provided with the device, with alternate languages beingavailable in the future. The driver can set personal preferences forpronunciation of specific words, such as difficult contact names, andspecialized acronyms or symbols, such as “H₂O.” By default, mostacronyms are spelled out letter by letter (e.g. IMS, USB).

Information about specific words or phrases can be used to enhance bothspeech recognition performance and text-to-speech performance, and thisincludes context sensitive shortcuts. For example, nicknames should beexpanded into an email address if the driver is dictating an email. Inaddition, email addresses should be expanded to a common name whenfound. The driver can also set custom voice prompts or greetings.

The device also features multiple user support, wherein multiple peoplecan share the same device. The device automatically identifies eachperson by their mobile device 12, and maintains individual profiles 30for each driver.

Connectivity

The connectivity functionality of the control unit 11 enables it tofunction as a hands-free audio system. It interacts with supportedBluetooth hands-free devices, including but not limited to Bluetoothenabled vehicles (e.g., HS, HFP, and A2DP), after-market hands-freevehicle products, and supported headsets to provide privacy. Forvehicles not containing Bluetooth or other wireless support, the controlunit 11 can connect directly to the vehicle's audio system 16 through awired connection. Retrofit solutions will also be available for existingvehicles lacking wireless connectivity in the form of an optionalafter-market Bluetooth kit.

The system 10 may include a remote control 26 for accessing the controlunit 11. Emergency response support is available for direct assistancein emergencies, providing GPS location information if available. Thedriver could also use the control unit 11 through an advanced wirelessaudio/visual system, including such features as streaming music andproviding image content (e.g. PowerPoint, images attached in emails,slideshows). Integrated steering-wheel column buttons is also anavailable option.

The control unit 11 can also connect to a computer and external devices.This includes personal computers with Bluetooth to conveniently exchangeinformation over a personal area network (PAN). This also includes GPSdevices (with Bluetooth or other wireless or wired connectivity) forlocation awareness. This also includes storage devices (Bluetooth orother wireless or wired) for personal e-book libraries, or to manageoffline content with the unified hands-free interface. An optional cablewill be available for controlling an iPod or other music player withvoice commands. Through the device's USB ports, the driver can expandthe functionality of the device by attaching such items as a USBGPRS/EDGE/3G device for direct mobile access without a separate mobiledevice, or a USB WiFi for high-speed Internet access.

Upgradeability and Expansion

The driver may add future enhancements to the control unit 11 wirelesslyusing standard Bluetooth enabled devices. This includes support forwireless transfer with a desktop or notebook computer to transfer andsynchronize information. Advanced Bluetooth profile support (e.g. A2DP)for stereo and high quality audio is also available.

As mentioned previously, the control unit 11 will contain two USB ports.The standard USB port or ports will provide convenient access tostandard USB devices for storing preferences on a standard USB flashdrive; storing and moving off-line memos and transcriptions recorded bythe device; and future expansion, upgrades, and add-on features. Thedual-purpose USB 2.0 “On-The-Go” port or ports will provide both theaforementioned features to access USB devices, and also directconnections to a computer with a standard cable (e.g. similar toconnecting a digital camera or GPS unit directly to a computer).

Media Exchange

As indicated, the control unit 11 also plays audio files, such as .mp3s,.wavs, .AIFFs, and other compressed or uncompressed audio formats, aswell as video files. The user can request any media content (e.g.,songs, video, books, etc) in several ways. The user interfaces with thecontrol unit 11, which sends an email request to the server 27 (or adedicated server) via the mobile device 12 with as much information asthe user can include, such as author, singer, title, media type, etc.The control unit 11 could generate the email using speech to textconversion. The control unit 11 could alternatively attach an audio filewith a voice request from the user for the media content (againidentifying author, singer, title, media type, etc). The control unit 11could also send an audio file of the user humming a desired song.

The entertainment system components 16, 16A, 16B may send content info(e.g. RBDS/RDS info) identifying the song title and artist currentlybeing played to the control unit 11 (such as via lines 54).Alternatively, the control unit 11 can listen to the audio being playedover the speakers (such as via line 15 or via microphone 17). If theuser indicates that he likes the currently-played media content (such asby speaking, “I like this song,” or “I like this video”), the controlunit 11 identifies the currently-played media content (whichidentification it may already have directly, or which it can obtain bysampling the media content via line 15 or via microphone 17 and sendingit to a server, such as server 27, for identification). After thecontrol unit 11 has determined the identity of the media content, thecontrol unit 11 may recite the information to the user, including a costfor purchasing the media content and offering the option to purchase themedia content. The control unit 11 may also ask the user what format topurchase the media content (e.g., .mp3 by download, CD by mail, DVD bymail, etc), whether to purchase only the specific media content or topurchase an entire album containing the media content, whether toexplore other media content by the same artist, etc. Upon verbal requestfrom the user, the control unit 11 sends the request of the mediacontent, such as by sending an email request to the server 27.

Whatever the format of the request, the server 27 will parse the emailrequest to identify the requestor and to determine the desired mediacontent. Some assumptions may be made, for example, if the user onlyspecifies an author or singer, that singer/author's most recent work isprovided.

Once the media content is purchased, the server 27 retrieves the mediacontent from its own databases or other databases 52 accessible over theinternet (or other wide area network). The server 27 then attaches therequested media content to an email containing identifying informationand sends it to the user. The control unit 11 receives the email via themobile device 12, identifies the response to the request, stores themedia content in storage on the control unit 11 and begins playback.Optionally, when appropriate, the server 27 may charge the user'saccount for the purchase of the media content (the user's account may belinked to a credit card, bank account, or other payment method).

After retrieval and storage, the control unit 11 identifies the mediacontent that was received to the user by announcing the title,author/singer, media type, etc. and asking the user if the user wantsthe control unit 11 to play the media content, archive the media contentor ignore the media content. Playback can be controlled by voicecommands (fast forward, rewind, repeat, pause, play, etc).

As an option, each of the accounts 30 further includes an associatedmedia storage account 31 in which any media content requested by theuser is stored before a copy is forwarded to the user's control unit 11.This provides a backup of the media content and facilitates sharing themedia content with others.

The user can forward media content to other users by interfacing withthe control unit 11 to generate an email to the server 27 that specifiesthe content (as above) and also specifies the person or account to whomthe media content will be forwarded. If the content is already stored inthe sender's media storage account 31, the server 27 will send a copy tothe recipient's media storage account 31 and email a copy to theintended recipient. If the content is not already stored in the sender'smedia storage account 31, the server 27 will obtain a copy (as above)and put it in the recipient's media storage account 31. The server 27will charge the sender's account for the content sent to the recipient,as appropriate based upon licensing arrangements. The recipient'scontrol unit 11 (or similar) would announce the content and the senderand ask to play the content.

The media may be provided in a proprietary format readable only by theserver 27 and authorized control units 11.

Each user's media storage account 31 stores all media content requestedby the user and all media content received from others. When the controlunit 11 detects the user's mobile device 12 connected to the controlunit 11, a message is sent to the server 27 indicating that the user cannow receive media content. Server 27 will provide a report that thecontrol unit 11 will read to user listing media content in the mediastorage account 31. The user can choose media content to play, toarchive onto the control unit 11, reject, or postpone receiving. Eachuser has their own media storage account 31, as they have mailboxes. Theuser can check the associated media storage account for songs (or othermedia content), browse titles and choose to play choices, or forwardmedia content in the media storage account 31 to a person he has in hiscontact list.

This feature provides a backup of the user's media content, provides aneasy way for the user to request and play media content in the vehicleand provides an easy way for the user to share media content with otherusers.

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Chatting Networks

Referring to FIG. 3, in addition to basic communication with othervehicles 8, the user may also instruct the system to create or requestmembership to several on-the-road communication groups or networks 62.These groups or networks 62 consist of two or more system users that areconnected by the array of servers 27 in such a way that they maycommunicate with each other while driving, much like a teleconference.

Each user may define each of his on-the-road networks 62 as his [NAME]on-the-road network. The system will refer to each network 62 by thisspecification. The user can (via voice commands) invite selectedcontacts from the user contact list to be added to the network 62. Eachuser can be a member of more than one network 62.

The user information and profile 30 of each member of the network 62 isstored to the server 27, and when a member of the network 62 arriveswithin range of his vehicle 8, the system will notify all other activemembers of the network 62 via either voice or tone notificationdepending on the individual user's preferences.

While on the road, the user can instruct the control unit 11 by voicecommand to connect him or her to an ongoing chat session of a particularnetwork 62. The user may also instruct the control unit 11 to onlylisten to the chat session wherein the user may only listen to thedialogue among the active on-the-road communication network 62 (or morethan one network 62 simultaneously). The user can additionally initiatea chat session by verbally specifying with which network 62 he wishes toengage.

Alternately, the user may also instruct the control unit 11 to hide hisactive status from any of his on-the-road networks 62. The user may alsoinstruct the control unit 11 to withdraw from any given chat session atany given time.

During an on-the-road chat session, communication can be delivered bytwo means. The control unit 11 can translate the user's voice to textmessage, where the text message is then distributed to all activemembers in the network 62 through normal text messaging servers or viathe system servers 27, which are then converted to speech by the controlunits 11 of the other users. The control unit 11 can also distributevoice notes, or recordings of the user's voice, to all active members inthe network 62 via the servers 27. Alternatively, or as an option, thecommunication among the members of the network 62 may also be providedas real-time voice, as in a telephone conference. The voice may beprovided as VOIP via server 27 or normal cell phone connections via themobile devices 12.

During an on-the-road chat session, the control unit 11 may use theservers 27 backend to manage and process exchanges among the members ofa network in order to ensure timely content delivery.

During an on-the-road chat session, the control unit 11 will continue tomanage incoming calls, e-mails, sms, calls, calendar events, and othermaterials. The user may instruct the control unit 11 to not disrupt hison-the-road chat session or to only interrupt with a tone indicating thearrival of new information.

Voicebook

Referring to FIG. 1, a social media server 66 (e.g. facebook, myspace,twitter, etc.) is accessible via the Internet. Each user has a profile68, which may include a webpage or feed, with associated other users(“friends” or “followers” etc). With the present system, a user may adda folder 70 to his personal webpage (e.g. facebook, myspace, etc.) whichmay be public, private, or only available for access by user specifiedindividuals from his contact group. These settings may be specified byvoice command to the control unit 11 which modifies the user profile 30on server 27, which in turn then modifies the profile 68 on server 66(other arrangements are also possible).

While driving, the user may compose on-the-road notes or thoughts, whichare sent from the control unit 11 either directly to the webpage'sserver 66 (e.g. facebook's server) or to the servers 27 for posting tothe webpage's server 66. The control unit 11 (or server 27) will postthese voice recordings as entries in the folder 70 for contacts toaccess. Alternatively, the voice recording may first be converted totext. Once a note has been posted, the servers 27 will notify the othersystem users (that have access to the folder, e.g. “friends” or“followers” or the like) that a thought/note has been posted. The formof the folder 70 may depend on the form of the social media. The folder70 may take the form of a webpage or feed or status or post or any otherform required by the social media server 66.

The secondary user may instruct their control unit 11 to retrieve thenote and play the file to them as they drive. Additionally, users canalso access and listen to the note using a computer by downloading andopening the notes as audio files.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes andjurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are consideredto represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it shouldbe noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than asspecifically illustrated and described without departing from its spiritor scope. For example, the invention is not limited to being provided ina car, but can also be provided in any mobile environment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of communicating between vehiclesincluding the steps of: a) receiving a verbal request from a user tocreate a group; b) in response to said step a), creating a group havinga plurality of members associated therewith, wherein the user is one ofthe plurality of members; c) receiving a verbal request from the user toadd a contact to the group; d) associating the contact as a new memberof the group in response to said step c); e) associating each of theplurality of members with the group in profiles associated with each ofthe plurality of members, the profiles stored in a server; f) detectinga presence of each of the members in vehicles associated with each ofthe members, such members having an active status; g) receiving arequest from one of the plurality of members to hide his active statusfrom the rest of the plurality of members, wherein the one member isthen a hidden member; h) indicating to the plurality of members theactive status of the plurality of members but not indicating the activestatus of the hidden member; i) based upon said step e) and said stepf), providing communication among the plurality of members whosepresence was detected in said step f) including the new member.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said step i) further includes the steps ofconverting audible speech from one member to text, transmitting the textto the other members of the group and converting the transmitted text toaudible speech for the other members.
 3. The method of claim 1 whereinsaid step i) further includes the steps of recording audible speech fromone of the members, transmitting the recorded audible speech to theother members of the group and playing the transmitted recorded audiblespeech for the other members.
 4. The method of claim 1 further includingthe step of prioritizing telephone calls relative to communication amongthe members of the group based upon preferences set by each member. 5.The method of claim 4 wherein the step of prioritizing includesinterrupting the communication among the members of the group with atelephone call.
 6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step ofprioritizing includes the step of indicating an incoming telephone callto one of the members of the group during communication among themembers of the group.
 7. The method of claim 1 further including thestep of automatically adding the members to a communication session withone another in response to said step e).
 8. The method of claim 1further including the step of receiving a request from one of themembers to participate in the communication among the members providedin said step i).
 9. The method of claim 1 further including the step ofreceiving a request from one of the members to listen to thecommunication among the members but not to participate in thecommunication among the members.
 10. The method of claim 1 furtherincluding the step of receiving identification of the plurality ofmembers to associate with the group in said step b).
 11. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the group is a first group, said method furtherincluding the step of creating a plurality of groups including the firstgroup, wherein each of the plurality of members is associated with morethan one of the plurality of groups.
 12. A method of communicatingbetween vehicles including the steps of: a) receiving a verbal requestat a server to create a group; b) in response to said step a), creatinga group having a plurality of members associated therewith; c) receivinga verbal request from the user to add a contact to the group; d)associating the contact as a new member of the group in response to saidstep c); e) detecting a presence of each of the members in vehiclesassociated with each of the members, including the new member, suchmembers having an active status; f) receiving a request from one of theplurality of members to hide his active status from the rest of theplurality of members, wherein the one member is then a hidden member; g)indicating to the plurality of members the active status of theplurality of members but not indicating the active status of the hiddenmember; and h) after said step e), receiving communication from each oneof the plurality of members including the new member at the server andforwarding the communication from the server to others of the pluralityof members including the new member.
 13. The method of claim 12 whereinsaid step h) further includes the steps of converting audible speechfrom one member to text, transmitting the text from the server to theother members of the group and converting the transmitted text toaudible speech for the other members.
 14. The method of claim 12 whereinsaid step h) further includes the steps of recording audible speech fromone of the members, transmitting the recorded audible speech to theother members of the group and playing the transmitted recorded audiblespeech for the other members.
 15. The method of claim 12 furtherincluding the step of prioritizing telephone calls relative tocommunication among the members of the group based upon preferences setby each member.
 16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step ofprioritizing includes interrupting the communication among the membersof the group with a telephone call.
 17. The method of claim 14 whereinthe step of prioritizing includes the step of indicating an incomingtelephone call to one of the members of the group during communicationamong the members of the group.
 18. A method of communicating betweenvehicles including the steps of: a) associating each of a plurality ofmembers with a group in profiles associated with each of the pluralityof members, the profiles stored in a server; b) receiving a verbalrequest from the user to add a contact to the group; c) associating thecontact as a new member of the group in response to said step b); d)receiving a request from one of the plurality of members to hide hisactive status from the rest of the plurality of members, wherein the onemember is then a hidden member; e) detecting a presence of each of themembers in vehicles associated with each of the members; and f) aftersaid steps d) and e), providing communication among the plurality ofmembers indicating the active status of the plurality of members but notindicating the active status of the hidden member.